Bennington’s struggle with mental health and addiction was evident throughout the music of Linkin Park, with Crawling particularly giving an insight into Chester’s battle with drugs and alcohol.

And in previous interviews, the singer said that being abused as a child led to his issues in later life.

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Bennington was molested from the age of seven until he was 13 by a friend who was a few years older than him.

Previously speaking to Kerrang! magazine in 2014, the rock star explained: ‘It escalated from a touchy, curious, ‘what does this thing do’ into full-on, crazy violations.

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‘I was getting beaten up and being forced to do things I didn’t want to do. It destroyed my self-confidence.

Chester was the frontman of Linkin Park since 1999 (Picture: Redferns)

‘I didn’t want people to think I was gay or that I was lying. It was a horrible experience.’

Chester has never identified his abuser.

He also felt abandoned by his family, with his father Lee – a police detective who, coincidentally, focused on child abuse cases – working long hours and divorcing from Chester’s mother when he was 11.

The trauma of his abuse plunged Bennington into a cycle of addiction, with his mother kicking him out of the house when he was 17 due to his drug use.

This addiction got even worse during Chester’s career, with Linkin Park staging an intervention for him in 2016.

Chester killed himself at the age of 41 (Picture: AP)

Speaking to Metal Hammer, Chester said: ‘I was on 11 hits of acid a day. I dropped so much acid I’m surprised I can still speak! I’d smoke a bunch of crack, do a bit of meth and just sit there and freak out.

‘Then I’d smoke opium to come down. I weighed 110 pounds. My mom said I looked like I stepped out of Auschwitz. So I used pot to get off drugs. Every time I’d get a craving, I’d smoke my pot.’

He continued: ‘In 2006, I had a choice between stopping drinking or dying. Idid some counselling with the guys and they really opened up and told me how they felt. I had no idea that I had been such a nightmare.’

Chester is survived by wife Talinda and his six kids (Picture: Getty)

His second wife Talinda also told him that seven months into their marriage, she had never seen him go a day without having a drink.

Bennington was believed to have been sober at the time of his death.

The musician still addressed his issues in Linkin Park, with the song Heavy discussing ‘holding on’ through the pain.

The star leaves behind six children – Jaime, 21, from his relationship with Elka Brand, Isaiah, Elka’s son who he adopted, Draven, 15, from his marriage to Samantha Marie Olit, and Tyler, 11, and twins Lilly and Lila, 6, from his marriage to Talinda.